Root canal therapy may be completed in essentially a three step process. First, a dentist, endodontist, or other medical practitioner mechanically removes infected pulp from within the internal root structure of a tooth. Second, the internal root structure is cleaned and disinfected leaving a void in the place of the infected pulp. Third, the void is obturated or filled with a biocompatible, semi-structural material.
The voids created within root canal systems during such a root canal therapy often present highly complex geometries which vary significantly from treatment to treatment. Traditionally during the obturation step, the root canal receives gutta percha, RESILON®, or similar material in a softened and highly viscous condition. The gutta percha then hardens within the enlarged and cleaned root canals, while retaining some resiliency to sufficiently fill the complex voids. However, the expertise required for such traditional obturation requires significant equipment and many additional procedural steps.
Therefore, to simplify obturation, there is a growing trend in root canal therapy to make use of so-called “obturators.” Obturators are essentially a toothpick sized stick of root canal filling material. During the procedure, the practitioner places the obturator in a small oven to warm and soften the filling material. Once properly heated, the obturator is used to conform the softened filling material to the complex geometries of the root canal structure and eventually fill the remaining void. Due to the inherent simplicity of an obturator relative to more traditional methods, it has become clinically accepted that obturators allow practitioners to achieve greater success rates with patient root canal therapies. Thus, patients benefit from less pain and infection while practitioners benefit from less equipment and decreased procedure complexity.
Despite these beneficial outcomes, the acceptance of obturators amongst practitioners has been hindered by at least three attributes of the small ovens used to heat the obturators. First and foremost, these ovens require considerable time to “pre-heat” before use. Pre-heating requires the practitioner or other office clinician to carefully plan ahead while simultaneously performing the procedure, thereby creating additional complexity in what may be an already busy office environment. Secondly, once the oven is pre-heated, the obturator must be placed in the oven and heated to the proper temperature. Heating the obturator is a relatively time-consuming process that can only be minimized with excellent planning on the part of the practitioner. Finally, powering the oven includes a cord which must be plugged into a nearby power outlet, which limits the locations in which the oven may be operated. Moreover, any mistake on the part of the practitioner or other office clinician in attempting to accommodate this complexity results in idle time and decreased efficiency.
Presently, ovens used in conjunction with obturators rely on natural convective heating. The heat is generated by a resistive heating coil element generally heated from 120° C. to 180° C. After the obturator is placed within the oven, it is slowly raised to the proper temperature via convective heating by the warmed air flowing around the obturator. Unfortunately, the time and complexity required to use these convective ovens has hindered the wide use of obturators in practice to the detriment of practitioners and patients alike.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for use in endodontic procedures, such as root canal therapy, that addresses present challenges and characteristics such as those discussed above.